Are personal faith and medical care compatiable?

[Burnzonemt]

Okay, even though it looks like conservatives are getting the :violent3: , I'll stick my neck out and admit to being a conservative Christian type. As a matter of fact I feel that this is the reason I'm in the field trying to help others or brighten someones day.

HOWEVER.....that being said I will ONLY talk about my beliefs if I sense my patients have a similar belief. I have seen to many Bible thumping hypocrites to freely talk to just anyone (can you tell this is a pet peeve of mine?) about it. My feeling is that if you are in a position to provide care that the patient requests, then you need to lay your beliefs to the side and do as they request.

That might include in-vitro fertilization, physician-assisted suicide, embryonic stem cells, and perhaps even providing treatment to gays and lesbians.

Just my feeling, but if you are working in a position where the pt. requested above mentioned services, and you can provide it then you need to come across with the goods. (Not trying to sound harsh or judgemental but I feel very strongly about this)

[Pelotari]

I do not post often, not even at all, but I want to say something about this. As you may know, or may not, I live in an almost all-catholic country. I was, indeed, raised within a catholic home, my parents believe in God, go to Church every Sunday but I do not.

I am an EMT and I will treat everyone the best I can, despite they are blue, gay, green, black, straight, catholic, Russian or poor. I expect the same form everyone in an ambulance.

If your personal beliefs, religious or of any other kind, do not allow you to do your job as you should then you are lacking ethics and you are being unprofessional. And we are all supposed to act professionally and do our bests, not matter if we are dumb, tall, atheists or Mexican. Everyone can believe whatever they want, years and years of fights were -and are still- held because of this. People should not be able to decide if they want to treat someone or not because of what they -the provider- think, that is called discrimination.

[vs-eh?]

I do not post often, not even at all, but I want to say something about this. As you may know, or may not, I live in an almost all-catholic country. I was, indeed, raised within a catholic home, my parents believe in God, go to Church every Sunday but I do not.

I am an EMT and I will treat everyone the best I can, despite they are blue, gay, green, black, straight, catholic, Russian or poor. I expect the same form everyone in an ambulance.

If your personal beliefs, religious or of any other kind, do not allow you to do your job as you should then you are lacking ethics and you are being unprofessional. And we are all supposed to act professionally and do our bests, not matter if we are dumb, tall, atheists or Mexican. Everyone can believe it whatever they want, years and years of fights had -and are still- held because of this. People should not be able to decide if they want to treat someone or not because of what they -the provider- think, that is called discrimination.

WOW...Outta the woodwork with some people....

Wicked Pelotari...Good to see people standing up for what they believe. =D>

[PCB]

I have a question. We are EMT's and Paramedics. Basically emergency medicine, PHTLS. How is supplying the "morning after pill" considered emergency medicine? Personally I would not, if given the authority, administer this medication. Neither would I withhold information if asked, but I would also offer information on places like "Nile House" or other teen pregnancy helplines.

[vs-eh?]

I have a question. We are EMT's and Paramedics. Basically emergency medicine, PHTLS. How is supplying the "morning after pill" considered emergency medicine? Personally I would not, if given the authority, administer this medication.

Read all of the posts...

The initial one offers blanket "protection".

[akflightmedic]

Stay on track people and read from the beginning.

This has nothing to do with the morning after pill, whether it is right or wrong, or whether we as EMS providers can give it.

If you read the first original post in its entirety, you will have a grasp on the topic at hand.

It is about laws that are trying to be passed that enable us to withhold ANY treatment if it conflicts with our own personal religous or moralistic views.

My concern was this law would enable or allow a lot of abuse of the privelege by burnt out lazy or incompetent medics.

In addition, it would give certain zealots a really nice platform upon which to place themselves in order to start spewing their message in whatever unique way they contrive now that their actions or inactions are protected by the law.

There are always those willing to be martyrs to prove a point, to any extreme, no matter how right or how wrong.

[Burnzonemt]

My concern was this law would enable or allow a lot of abuse of the privelege by burnt out lazy or incompetent medics.

You better believe (no pun intended) that a law like this would get abused. All it takes is a lawsuit to find out!

EMS Ballbuster Attorney: "Mr. good intentioned but lazy emt, I believe my client died because you didn't use a common drug that you carry on the ambulance."

Lazy EMT: "Good thing you brought that up because it is against my beliefs to administer that drug."

OH YEAH, I see the future and it abuses itself. :twisted:

[PCTtiff]

Whoa, this topic is... complicated. So complicated it can be considered an ethical topic. Ethics, I believe, are when the right and wrong of a situation are NOT clear and one has to make a decision based on their personal mind-frame, beliefs, etc.

I AM a Christian. I believe in God and I believe that He gave His only Son so that we might have eternal life and happiness. Jesus is in my heart and I know that I am saved. I won't hide my beliefs, I'm proud of them! But I also won't force them on someone or dislike someone because they don't agree with me. We're to love people, and the BEST way we can love people is by helping them when they really need it. On this topic, I do not believe that medics - or anyone really, have the right to withhold medical treatment, if it is not outside the realm of their training or in their job description, to someone they don't agree with. THAT is totally un-Christian.

God gave people free will. There comes a time though, when we can either help people ruin their lives or help them. I don't know how I'd feel about giving out 'the pill'. If it was to a young teenager obviously getting herself mixed up in things she shouldn't - morally and legally, I WOULD NOT be comfortable - I don't know that I could do that. Married couples though, there is such a thing as waiting for a couple years before bringing kids into the mix and I see nothing wrong with that. Why are medics having to give out the pill though? What kind of emergency is that?

Either way, I'm praying for all you guys. I don't know how you can work in the field and not have a feeling of intelligent design! I think faith would be the only thing to keep me out there! God bless you all and keep you.

In Jesus,

Tiff

[akflightmedic]

MEDICS ARE NOT, I REPEAT NOT>>GIVING OUT THE PILL

The pill topic came up because this originally started with pharmacists that refused to fill prescriptions for the pill because it conflicted with their views.

I really wish people would read subjects in their entirety before commenting, it helps eliminate the ignorance factor(for some).

On a side note, I find it amusing that all those that are christian, have to state that and preach a little before giving their opinion. Are you implying that a non christian could not have the same misgivings about a pill or procedure because they are not fo the same belief system? Couldn't you just give your own opinion without having to validate what you believe in and whether or not you go to church?? Just asking...

another edit: I like these topics because it drags posters out of the dark recesses of EMTCity and they show their head on these rare occassions. Just remember, click on the sponsors ads....

[Ridryder 911]

Again, this topic has no relation to the performance of what we provide in the field. Of course, you may have those that want to claim . anything is against their belief system. Again, there is legal structures to have to prove such.

There are many organized religions in America, than the traditional Christian base religion. Branches of sub culture, eastern beliefs, and diverse cultures can make many ethics challenged.

Using the belief of saving a life, postpone of death, or preventive injuries is an adopted philosophy of most faith based cultures. Idiosyncrasy of each or fine tune can usually be performed. There are very few faiths that prohibit health care worker to function at their standard goals as I described.

This discussion has left the whole statement of the post. The pharmacist was discharged wrongfully, because they participate care in something against their faith. There was a law that protected them as such. Then they were discharged.

Now, the discussion on this post is to see if faith and medicine can intertwine and if faith interferes with treatment.

Again, most medical care is performed by ones of faith.. especially in areas no one else participates. The general consensus of most of the population is of having some faith.. I know it is hard for agnostics/atheists to understand, but it is and should be respected as much as someones physical findings.

Encompassing faith among provider and patients has been going on for centuries and still is taught and performed daily. It is also a scientific fact those with such care has a higher rate of healing, discharge, and less complications. real or not .. the facts.

Let us not make up scenarios that has not occurred.. faith interfering with emergency procedures by emergency personel, or providing medical care, for those that need it. (Sorry..morning after is a form of birth control, not treatment of an injury or ailment)

For more debatable ethical issues, how many medics has seen patients been refused medical (non-emergency) treatments or lower treatment due to uninsured or no pre existing health care ?....in which I see on a daily basis..

Be safe,

R/R 911